Off-Duty Firefighter Saves Life During Soccer Game

Howard County firefighter recruit Stephanie Cizek was playing in a soccer game at the Soccer Dome near BWI when she saw a fellow player begin to feel ill.

She watched as Mike Greenhill, 53, started to slump on the bench, his chin hitting his chest. She and a referee ran over to assist him. He lost his pulse and became unconscious, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS).

Cizek, 21, immediately began CPR and instructed someone to call 911 and find an automatic external defibrillator. When Anne Arundel County paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, Cizek helped prepare Greenhill to be transported from the Soccer Dome in Harmans to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. He has since made a full recovery, according to HCDFRS.

“She was my angel,” said Greenhill.

Audrey Lones, Greenhill’s sister, said many doctors have told the family it was the CPR at the Soccer Dome that was the major factor in saving Greenhill’s life.

“We could not be more grateful to her,” said Lones.

“I’m still overwhelmed by everything from that night,” which occurred in April, said Cizek, who works out of the Banneker Fire Sation in Columbia. “I’m glad I was there at the right time.”

The fire department shared the story this week to remind residents of , which ends Saturday, May 26.

“Cizek jumped in and started CPR, modeling great behavior that we want to see in our citizens and bystanders,” said HCDFRS Medical Director Dr. Kevin Seaman.